Cham artists perform at the workshop (Source: VNA)

Participants agreed that Cham musical heritage is facing the risk of fading away, as Cham artists are getting older or pass away, while the young generation is not passionate with taking over their successors’ roles.

Nong Quoc Thanh, deputy head of the Cultural Heritage Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said that a lot of workshops on Cham culture have been held, but there has been no in-depth discussion about the unique values of the Cham musical heritage as well as specific measures to preserve the heritage.

At this workshop, researchers stressed the need to step up the collection, research and identification of the heritage, put Cham music in schools’ curricula, intensify dissemination on the musical heritage, and create favourable conditions for old artists to pass over their knowledge to young people.

Musician Amu Nhan said that it is necessary to make Cham music part of the popular music scene serving the society’s demand for entertainment instead of serving only the Cham ethnic community.

The Cham community owns a rich and diverse intangible culture with 72 ritual and festive activities, including music and dance. Many of them remain original at present.

Source: VNA